One of those weird wrestling rumors you heard about decades ago has officially been debunked.
All sorts of wild rumors have popped up the minute the first computer was connected to the internet. One involves the Undertaker's transition into the American Bad Ass persona. The story goes is that Undertaker negotiated with Eric Bischoff in 1999 and eventually got an offer to join WCW. He took that offer and went to Vince McMahon and told him that unless he could change his character, he would take the WCW offer. Of course, the story would go that he agreed, and that's how the persona came to be.
But one important person behind that story is debunking it completely. Eric Bischoff, in an interview with Pop Culture, denied the rumors.
"See, that's another one of those internet wrestling rumors that continues to survive, what is it now, 18, 19 years later? Nothing could be further from the truth," Bischoff said. "There was never one syllable of conversation between anybody that mattered. Maybe some of the lower level guys on the production, maybe some freelancers said, 'Wow, wouldn't it be cool if the Undertaker came over?'"
Bischoff would know if a deal like that ever transpired. He was in charge of hiring people, after all, and knew who would be getting offers and who wouldn't be.
"There was never any meaningful conversation with anybody that mattered at any level," said Bischoff.
The Undertaker has been a part of WWE since 1990, when he made his debut for the company. He's been wrestling at least once a year for the promotion since.